Motoring News

Inside Motoring News

Toyota scales back in US as disasters hit supplies

Friday, 25 March 2011

Toyota has told workers at its car plants in the US that they will have their hours cut and may even be sent home, as the effects of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami ripple through the global manufacturing supply chain.

Vauxhall van deal secures Luton jobs

Friday, 25 March 2011

The next generation of Vauxhall's Vivaro van is to be built at its Luton factory, safeguarding the plant and 1,500 jobs. There had been fears the site could close if the current contract between Vauxhall and Renault was not renewed when it runs out in 2013.

Fuel tax: Respite from the relentless rise in fuel prices – for now

Thursday, 24 March 2011

There was some relief for motorists after the Chancellor announced a surprise reduction in fuel duties alongside an expected delay in a planned rise due next week.

Roads: £100m more to tackle potholes

Thursday, 24 March 2011

After the cut in fuel duty, motorists had further reason to cheer as an extra £100m was promised for tackling potholes.

Welcome for Budget fuel price cut

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

The Chancellor provided some relief for beleaguered drivers today by not only postponing next month's planned fuel duty increase but also cutting the current duty by 1p a litre from 6pm today.

Petrol prices at record high

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

Fuel prices at the pumps have reached new record highs, with diesel passing the 140p a litre mark for the first time, the AA said today.

Kia cee'd named as Best Value New Car by Parkers

Tuesday, 22 March 2011

Car price tracking experts Parkers have introduced new set of motor industry gongs with a difference. The Parkers New Car Awards focus on value for money and all-in cost of ownership, and the first winner is the Kia cee'd. The cee'd has already impressed buyers with a combination of good performance and keen initial pricing, and it's familiar to millions of Top Gear viewers as the programme's current “reasonably priced car”. The Parkers award confirms that it can be an interesting long-term proposition as well.

Auto Trader in the Pink

Monday, 21 March 2011

Car-buying website autorader.co.uk has reported a big spike in interest in pink cars after the colour guide Pantone named Honeysuckle Pink as its “Colour of the Year”. Honeysuckle Pink, best described as a shade of magenta, is forecast to be the most popular colour of 2011, and searches for magenta cars on autotrader.co.uk rose from 2,629 in December 2010 to 9,863 in January.

Car production rises 15 per cent

Friday, 18 March 2011

Car production rose last month but there was a slight fall in the number of commercial vehicles manufactured, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. A total of 111,983 cars were produced in the UK in February, marking a year-on-year increase of 15.1 per cent. Commercial vehicle production, on the other hand, stood at 9,923, down 3 per cent on the total for February last year. Engine production was also strong, climbing by 10.2 per cent last month.

French ministers call for heads of Renault bosses in spy scandal

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

French ministers and opposition politicians yesterday insisted that Renault bosses must be punished for their "unbelievably amateurish" handling of the phantom industrial espionage saga.

Deloitte survey points to long wait for mass adoption of electric cars

Friday, 11 March 2011

A Europe-wide survey conducted by the consulting firm Deloitte points to widespread interest in electric vehicles (EVs), but also suggests that only a minority think that they may be in the first wave of customers for the technology themselves.

Warning on staged car accidents

Friday, 11 March 2011

The cost of motor insurance is being driven up because an increasing number of people are "staging" accidents, a report by MPs has concluded.

Petrol accelerates to £6 a gallon

Thursday, 10 March 2011

Petrol prices climbed to the £6 a gallon mark for the first time on record yesterday, with a litre of fuel costing over £1.32, according to the AA.

Toyota looks to hybrids for boost

Thursday, 10 March 2011

Toyota is to focus on hybrid vehicles and emerging markets and push for global sales of 10 million cars by 2015, the Japanese car giant said yesterday.

Jaguar introduces extreme XKR-S

Wednesday, 9 March 2011

Jaguar has announced its most powerful and fastest production car yet, the XKR-S. Capable of breaking the symbolic 300km/h (186mph) barrier, the new model is also capable of reaching 60mph from rest in 4.2 seconds. Its supercharged V8 engine produces 550 horsepower and 680 Newton metres of torque. A special exhaust system “rewards the enthusiastic driver with dramatic, motorsport-inspired aural feedback”. Uprated suspension, wheels and steering are fitted and there are aerodynamic modifications to help maintain stability at speed.

Fuel duty cut 'could cost £6bn a year'

Wednesday, 9 March 2011

George Osborne, the Chancellor, has been warned that his plans to cushion the impact of soaring oil prices for motorists will backfire and create another "black hole" in the public finances. A study for the Green Alliance environmental group has found that a fuel duty stabiliser could cost £6bn a year, which would have to be found by raising taxes or through deeper public spending cuts.

UK 'relying too heavily' on sat-navs

Tuesday, 8 March 2011

The UK is "dangerously dependent" on GPS satellite navigation systems, a report by engineers warns.

New car sales dip

Friday, 4 March 2011

New car sales dipped last month but not by as much as expected, figures today showed.

Spiders' webs force Mazda recall

Friday, 4 March 2011

Japanese car maker Mazda said today it was recalling 65,000 cars after discovering spiders' webs in the vents.

Pillarless Ford B-Max impresses in Geneva

Friday, 4 March 2011

Ford's small B-Max MPV is wowing visitors to the Geneva Motor Show with two big innovations that are bound to worry competitors with less adventurous designs.

Gender-based insurance banned

Wednesday, 2 March 2011

European Judges rewrote the rule book for insurance companies yesterday by banning risk assessment based on gender.

Petrol price surges to 130p a litre

Tuesday, 1 March 2011

Average petrol prices have passed the 130p a litre mark for the first time, the AA said today.

Thousand jobs go at windscreens firm

Friday, 25 February 2011

More than 1,000 Auto Windscreens workers have lost their jobs after administrators said today that they were unable to save the business.

Millionth iPhone app download for Auto Trader

Friday, 25 February 2011

Auto Trader, operator of the popular autotrader.co.uk car buying and selling website, reports that one million users have now downloaded its iPhone app, a development that reflects a growing trend for car-buyers to search for their next car using mobile devices.

Porsche merger with VW stalled by more inquiries

Friday, 25 February 2011

The long-awaited merger between Porsche and Volkswagen may not happen until next year, the sports car-maker warned yesterday, after German prosecutors widened their investigation into the embattled company.

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